


Restless Nights

by tiedyeflag



Category: Clockwork (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff Like Whoa, M/M, Romance, gotta balance out the sin in the fandom XD, if you squint...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-28 21:19:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5106119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiedyeflag/pseuds/tiedyeflag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christian’s arachnophobia leads him to learn about a phobia of a certain ringleader.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Restless Nights

A rusty, barely working bedside clock calmly ticked away, its face displaying the time of 2:31. And in the dead of night, though the light of day never reached the room, so it made no difference. How could the sun illuminate a windowless, shabby bedroom, located several meters underground? Light never reached the catacombs, but even if it did, it’d be repulsed into fleeing, for the room did not know the definition of ‘tidy’ nor ‘presentable’. Dust and dirt coated nearly everything, from the mirror with the cracked corner, to the scrap wooden bedframe. On top of it sat a bundle of well-worn, filthy quilts with matching pillows at the head. And there laid the head of a brown haired, scruffy man. He slept soundly, snoring softly. What else would Gaz the ringleader be doing at this time of night?

He didn’t even hear the door to his bedroom crack open, and a nervous figure slipped inside. They quietly slipped on top of the bed, hugging their knees to their chest. Gaz stirred when he felt the bed dip, and turned around with half open eyes. Through the semi-darkness, he made out soft blue striped pajamas and familiar black hair with golden lightening bots through them. Yes, none other than Christian, or “Scientist” to Gaz.

After a pause, Christian glanced sheepishly over his shoulder and whispered, “…there was a spider.”

“…Scientist.”

“Yes…?”

“Did you just walk from your home, through the streets, and down through the catacombs in your pajamas because of a single spider?”

Another pause. “…y-yeah…”

Gaz pressed his lips tight together to contain his laugh, but his chortle got the best of him. He burst into howling laughter, nearly kicking off the quilts. “H-haha, hahaHAHA-y-you came ALL THIS WAY-haha-in the DEAD of night j-just-just because of a-ahahahah-a little spidahaHAHA!!!”

Christian gripped tighter on his sleeves, blushing. Caught up in his embarrassment, he nearly missed Gaz’s question.

“S-so now you-heehee-want me to come over and kill it for you?”

“Well…that’s part of it…”

“Hm?” Gaz raised an eyebrow as he sat up. “What is it then~?”

“Can…can I stay here for tonight?”

Silence, as dead as the catacombs itself. 

“Did you hit your pretty little noggin on the way here, dear Scientist?”

“N-no, it’s late and it’s about to storm and-“

“Wait, what did you say?”

“It’s about to storm…?” Christian rolled over slightly to look at Gaz fully. He was surprised to find the normally happy-go-lucky man suddenly tense and anxious.

“Y-you mean just a little shower, r-right?” Gaz asked, but sounded more like pleading.

“No, it looked pretty dark, and the weather report said it was going to thunder-“

KA-BOOM!

Christian jolted at the roll of thunder from above. Gaz however, whimpered and held his head in his hands, trembling.

“…Gaz…?” Christian asked, sitting up. Just as he got upright, Gaz dove back under the covers, pulling the sheets fully over his head.

“Okay, okay, you can stay! G’night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite, haha!” He laughed uneasily.

“Are you okay…?” Christian leaned over the lump under the quits.

“Y-yeah, just fine, fine and dandy, just go to slee-“

A second rumble of thunder vibrated through the catacombs, causing Gaz to curl into a tighter ball and hold the sheets even tighter around him as if he’d be safe with the thin fabric. 

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and feel over his body for his head. Christian’s hand gently stroked it, eliciting Gaz to relax slightly. Just as he heard the faint hum of heavy raindrops, Christian carefully pried the quilt from Gaz’s hands and eased it off his head. Once exposed, he stared at the other man with wide eyes.

“Do you have astraphobia?”

“Ass-what?”

Christian sighed. “Astraphobia. Fear of thunderstorms.”

“O-oh, please,” Gaz sat up and puffed his chest out as he continued. “As if the Ringleader is afraid of a little thund-“

BOOM!

“Aah!” He dove under his pillow, hiding beneath it as he shivered, muffled whimpers leaking out. Then he felt Christian’s hand stroke his back soothingly, and say something, but Gaz couldn’t make it out through the pillow.

“What?” He asked, lifting the pillow a fraction above his head.

“Uh-I-I was just saying ‘shhh, there, there’…?” Christian brought his hand back, nervously staring at the opposite wall.

Gaz stifled a chuckle. “Who are you, my mother?”

“I…do get that a lot…” Christian scratched the back of his head, laughing to himself. “A-and being afraid of thunder probably isn’t as bad as being afraid of spiders.”

“Hm…on the contrary, Scientist,” Gaz purred as he inched closer. “Besides waking me up at an ungodly hour, I find it quite charming…” He leaned towards Christian. “Endearing even~…”

A crack of thunder stopped Gaz from any more flirting. Christian flinched, but not at the sound. He jerked as Gaz flung his thin arms around him and held on as if his life depended on it, shivering like a baby rat. The other man blushed slightly; as a chemist, the only element he wasn’t good at handling was the element of surprise.

But then he heard Gaz whimper with fear, bringing Christian back to reality. He slowly wormed his arms out of Gaz’s tight embrace and wrapped them around him, one hand in his loose brown locks and the other on his back. 

“Shhhhhh…shhhhh, it’s alright.” He whispered, massaging his fingers through Gaz’s hair. “Don’t worry, I’m here…”

Gaz’s shivering subsided, but only until the next roll of thunder came. When it did, he buried his poorly shaven face into Christian’s chest, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Shhhh…just listen to me…Focus on my voice, not on the thunder…”

Taking a shaky breath, Gaz did that, concentrating on Christian’s soothing shushes and gentle fingers through his hair. When thunder sounded again, he didn’t flinch, but held the scientist tighter.

Eventually Christian carefully lowered both of their bodies to their sides, laying on the bed. As the storm continued, so did Christian’s reassurances, and soon enough Gaz went back to sleep.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you sure you saw the spider in here?” Gaz hollered from the bedroom, holding his trusty crowbar over his shoulder. 

“Positive!” Christian poked his head out from the doorway, not daring to reenter his bedroom.

Gaz lifted up the sheets to look under the bed. “Well, I can’t even find a measly cobweb. Maybe you need new glasses, Scientist.”

“My glasses are fieeaaaAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

Raising an eyebrow, Gaz looked up just in time to see Christian’s heel disappear as he dashed down the hallway. Frightened, the scientist hastily slid behind the curtains to a large window and stood as stiff as a scarecrow. Biting his lip, he shut his eyes, trying to think of anything but the horrendous creature he just saw.

BONK!

Christian opened one eye, puzzled at the sound of metal hitting wood. And followed by footsteps coming closer. Before he knew it, the curtain was whipped out of his face and he found himself staring at Gaz’s smug grin.

“The deed is done, dear Scientist.”

“A-are you sure you killed it?”

Gaz spun his crowbar like a baton until one end faced squarely two inches in front of Christian’s face, revealing the messy imprint of a smashed spider. “See for yourself.” 

“AAAAAAaaaaah nononononope.” Christian shut his eyes and turned away, waving his hands in front of him until Gaz lowered the crowbar.

“Oh calm down, it’s dead as dust, nothing to worry about!” He scratched his chin, “Now…as payment…”

“W-what?”

“For taking up my ever precious time on this lovely morning…”

“You’re gonna make me cook you breakfast aren’t you.” Christian deadpanned.

The other man snapped his fingers. “Yes, that will do nicely! You read my mind, Scientist!”

Christian facepalmed with a sigh. “Why am I not surprised.” Dragging his hand down his face, he walked towards the kitchen. “Fine, fine, what do you want?”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gaz laid in his bed, arms folded under his pillow and body stomach down. His eyes were wide open, begging for sleep that would not come. Growling, he turned over, hoping a different position would help. Or another. Or another. Or even another…

“Bah.” Gaz hissed before chucking his pillow over the side of his rat nest. Propping his elbows on his knees, he held his face in his hands, hearing the steady rhythm of his bedside clock. 

Then he turned his head, staring at the empty other side of his bed.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christian stared at the ceiling from his bed. Absent mindedly he sighed, his mind going blank but awake. The full moon from outside poured moonlight into his room, illuminating his glasses with a silvery light. His hand fingered the plush comforter, trying to remember the feel of filthy quilts from the night before.

He was so lost in thought he didn’t hear the window crack open with a propped crowbar, and a shady shadow slipped inside. It wasn’t until he felt the side of his bed dip that Christian registered the familiar figure. 

Gaz had his back to Christian at first, but then he peeked over his shoulder with a cheeky grin. “A little birdie told me it was gonna storm tonight. Figured my dear Scientist could use some company~”

Christian blinked, staring uncomprehendingly at Gaz. After a brief silence, he huffed and relaxed. “…alright, but I’m not making you breakfast.”

“Aw, not even a little piece of toast?” Gaz whined.

“If you want to eat, then you’ll have to make it yourself tomorrow.” Christian shut his eyes. “Now go to sleep.”

“Alright~”

Christian then felt Gaz shift closer until he was nearly snuggling against him. Blushing, he opened his eyes as he felt Gaz’s bare chest brush against his hand.

“…D-d-did you walk here in your u-underwear…?” He stuttered.

Chucking, Gaz shrugged. “Says the man who walked to the catacombs in his pajamas.”

After a flustered pause, Christian gulped and shut his eyes again. “F-fair enough, but put some clothes on in the morning, o-okay?”

“Alright…” Gaz yawned. “…sweet dreams, Scientist…”

Christian felt the man gradually relax, slipping into slumber. He thought for a moment, and then bit his lip as he blindly felt for Gaz and gently pulled him closer, arm draped over his shoulder.

“G’night, Gaz…” He mumbled before sleep claimed him.

The two laid quietly like that, each matching their breathing to each other’s. After a few minutes, Gaz let out another yawn and mumbled one last thing.

“…thanks, Christian…”

**Author's Note:**

> The fandom is coming up with so much angst and smut it is time for me to bring balance to yet another webcomic fandom. Also my first time writing gay fan fiction XD Was worried writing about two characters with the same pronouns would be hard, but it was well worth it, especially with these two coughdorkscough


End file.
